Bangladesh 316 per 5 persons (Shadman 93, Mushfiqur 55*, Litton 52*, Mominul 50, Shahzad 2-47) trails Pakistan 448 on 6 dec with 132 runs
On day three, split into sessions of different lengths, including a three-hour morning session to coincide with Friday prayers in 35-degree heat, Bangladesh’s batsmen overcame early hostility to force a fierce contest against Pakistan’s bowlers in the Rawalpindi Test, clinching a first-innings victory.
Litton joined Mushfiqur at a crucial moment in Bangladesh’s innings. Mohammad Ali overpowered Shadman on the last ball before tea, while Shakib Al Hasan fell early and chipped Saimu Ayub’s part-time spin to a fielder at the covers. The sixth-wicket pair quickly took control of the situation, scoring more than five runs per over and striking a decisive blow to Pakistan’s quick attack when they took the second new ball towards the end of the day. Bangladesh scored 67 runs in their last 11 overs of the day, with Litton producing some exquisite strokeplay along the way.
The most important moment of the day came in the 89th over of Bangladesh’s innings. It was the 77th over of the day, and Litton tore through Naseem Shah. He came out and chipped the first ball of the over straight over the bowler for a bounced four, then pulled and hooked for two unstoppable fours and a mammoth six over square leg to take his fifty-run lead.
That over was 18 runs. Naseem, who had conceded just 15 runs in the first 12 overs of the innings and had taken a wicket in that time, conceded 62 runs in the last eight overs. The figures reflected Pakistan’s greater luck. Bangladesh’s run rate went from 2.97 in the first session to 3.33 in the second session and 5.08 in the third session.
But Pakistan still have 132 runs to spare and will start Day 4 two wickets behind Bangladesh’s lower order.
But they had to work extremely hard to get five wickets and the conditions were very good for batting after the first new ball lost its lustre. But Pakistan’s discipline and persistence for most of the time ensured that Bangladesh also had to work hard to get a late scoring streak going.
Having started the day with a clean sheet of 27, Bangladesh had scored just 12 runs from their 12 overs before the first drinks break, losing Zakir Hasan in the process. Naseem and Shaheen Shah Afridi were patient in the channels, finding enough movement to risk their on-the-top shots, and Bangladesh’s top three mostly held them back through a combination of skill, judgment and a little luck.
But Pakistan found a breakthrough in the fifth over of the day. Naseem’s angle across the left-hander, a bit of away-seam movement and extra bounce led to Zakir’s powerful push off his body. Mohammad Rizwan, who returned to keeper after being sidelined with cramps late in the second over, flew to his left and completed the catch on the edge.
The runs came a little quicker when the third and fourth seamers came, Najmul Hossain Shanto sharply driving Shahzad through extra cover for four runs when he over-pitched mid-off. But it was a minor mistake as Shahzad bowled according to plan, angling the ball to him around the wicket and bringing Shanto forward at length. Accustoming Shanto to front-foot drives and blocking into the cover area with a slightly open bat face, he pulled his length back a little to pull one back from the seam and bowled it comprehensively through the gate.
Bangladesh won 53-2, with Shadman and Mominul scoring just 12 runs in seven overs before the next break.
Despite all this, Shadman was calm at the plate, although there were a couple of awkward moments when he caught the ball above Mohammad Ali and Shahzad, who were both short pitches. On both occasions, the ball landed safely just in front of the long-legged fielder.
No matter how hard Pakistan pushed, the three-hour first session was always going to be a test for them. Shadman, who had been boundaryless for the first two hours of the day, was released in the 24th over when Shaheen served two freebies. He drove a half-volley to the cover boundary and punched a full toss past the bowler. He then stepped to Salman Ali Aga and made another boundary through the covers to get into the 40s.
Naseem returned to the attack and his day, which had started brightly, began to unravel as he conceded three fours in his last two overs before lunch. Mominul hit two balls in quick succession, a brazen uppercut over the slips, a pre-planned step back and a flat bat over mid-on, a slightly shorter length ball. Shadman ended the session with a full four to take his 50.
Shadman and Mominul put on 94 runs for the third wicket, and Shahzad broke the partnership in the fourth over after lunch. The wicket was almost identical to Zakir’s. Mominul came halfway forward to defend the fullish length as he rounded the wicket, and the inside seam movement cut through the bat pad gap.
Pakistan almost got lbw twice soon after, when Shahzad reviewed a call for an inductor off Mushfiqur Rahim and Shadman reviewed a call for an out on a slider off off-spinner Salman Ali Agha. Both reviews were in Bangladesh’s favour.
As the second session progressed, Shadman started to look threatening, rushing from 64 to 93 in just 25 balls, hitting four sixes in that time. Then Ali took a page out of Shahzad’s playbook and bowled him on the last ball before tea. Once again, the ball swung around the wicket and hit the left-hander, bowling him over the gate.
Karthik Krishnaswamy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo.
